Victory at what cost? French govt survives no-confidence vote despite pensions fury
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Play - 44:05
A nation is up in arms, but Emmanuel Macron still fancies his chances. By turning the passage of a highly unpopular pension reform bill into a vote of confidence, the French president convinced enough conservatives to avoid bringing down the government. But it was close, with PM Élisabeth Borne's government clinging on by just nine votes. We ask about the lasting impact on the rest of Macron's term-limited four years in office.
Could unions – for once, united – still force a climbdown over plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64? The next big day of strikes is planned for Thursday, but already anger is triggering wildcat walkouts and stoppages.
After seeing his predecessors bend and backtrack, we ask about Macron‘s decision to double down on this reform and pick this fight. What will be the lasting consequences for France and its democracy?
Produced Charles Wente, Juliette Laurain, Daphné Leprince-Ringuet and Imen Mellaz.
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